The BMW 1600GT Was the Beautiful Step Child of the 60s

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No, this isn't a classic 911 with a kidney grille.

It honestly doesn’t look all that much like a classic BMW, or any other BMW for that matter. The 1600GT doesn’t have those typical BMW angular lines that have helped define the German brand. But the little coupe does have plenty of 1960s funky style. And, not surprisingly, the car’s life didn’t start out at BMW at all. The story goes that BMW took over the Glass Company, the coupe’s original designer, in 1966.

Instead of dropping it altogether, BMW made the sports car even better by equipping it with a new transmission, a better engine, and, of course, a redesigned front end with the twin kidney grille. Just 1,255 examples were built and today it’s become a rare exotic and highly collectible.